Acadiana’s ability to develop a skilled 21st-century workforce is crucial to our economic future, yet we face a skills gap in critical fields – especially those requiring postsecondary education.
To address this, One Acadiana has championed postsecondary attainment through our 55 by 25 initiative. We are also fostering meaningful connections between business and education to raise awareness of in-demand jobs and the skills needed to fill them. And we are collaborating with partners to expand the labor pool by tapping into underserved populations.
Contact
Maggi Bienvenu, Ed.D.
Director, Business & Education Connections
Maggi@OneAcadiana.org
337-408-3671
55 by 25 Acadiana
The future prosperity of Acadiana depends on a fundamental commitment to education as a top regional priority. To ensure Acadiana is globally competitive, the region requires a strong and well-educated workforce. It is our firm belief that no accomplishment will be more critical to our future as a region.
To that end, in 2019, we set a regional goal to increase the proportion of working-age adults in Acadiana with postsecondary degrees, certificates, or other high-value credentials to 55 percent by 2025.
1A ConnectEd
As an outgrowth of the 55 by 25 initiative, 1A is proud to announce a new suite of activities we are calling One Acadiana ConnectEd, which leverage 1A’s unique role in the workforce ecosystem as a connector of business and education.
One Acadiana ConnectEd activities include:
- 1A’s industry roundtable series
- Linking educators with industry
- Promoting career-connected learning
Underserved Populations
1A also supports efforts to expand the labor pool by tapping into underserved populations. These efforts have included participation in Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) Foundation cohort programs, as well as studies conducted for a Gulf Coast Chambers Network (GCCN) planning grant through the EDA’s Recompete Pilot Program.
Resources for Developing Minds
Inspired by 1A’s 2022 Leadership Exchange trip to Pensacola, 1A partnered with United Way of Acadiana to launch Resources for Developing Minds to promote early brain development. Led in partnership with Ochsner Lafayette General and Our Lady of Lourdes, the program provides resources to every new parent within both hospitals, with the goal of supporting healthy brain development, promoting early learning, and improving outcomes for all young children in Acadiana.